When you introduce yourself to new people, what do you refer to yourself as? How do you market yourself as a person? How do you shine a light on your talents, your skills, your profession? How do you make you stand out from all the other people doing the same job as you're doing? It's really rather simple. You sell yourself.
Now, I'm not recommended you become a prostitute or a stripper, these are professions I know nothing about, nor would want to become a member of, but you do have to sell yourself in mind, not in body. You are awesome. You can do so much more than your job title says you can do. You have so many great, important skills under your belt that your job title just doesn't even begin to cover. If you want to become more than just your job title, you've got to own it.
Take me for example. I am a checkout operator. I work on the tills, I scan peoples shopping. I ask for payment, I make sure the transaction happens, and then I do that another thousand times a day. Hardly the most exciting of job positions, but I can make this job sound a lot more exciting just by talking about what it is I do, rather than the title I've been given. For example, let's take the following conversation;
Person #1: So, what is it you do?
Me: I work in *insert store name here* as a checkout operator.
Person: #1: That sounds.. exciting. Do you enjoy it?
Me: Yeah, it's good. I like it.
..and add some pazazz to it.
Person #1: So, what is it you do?
Me: I work in the retail industry. I'm responsible for increasing sales through customer interaction, and ensuring that the store maintains it's high standard in all areas of selling.
Person: #1: Wow, that sounds great. Is it something you enjoy doing?
Me: Oh yes. It's really exciting, no two days are the same. It's so good to be in an ever changing, fast paced industry that relies so much on a stores reputation. It's the relationship between it, it's staff and it's customers that really matters, and it's rewarding to be a part of that.
See the difference between the two conversations. Conversation one relies solely one using your job title to describe yourself, and doesn't at all say anything about the skills or what it is you do besides your title. Conversation two focuses on what it is you do in the position you're in, how your job is important to the place you're in working in, and how what you do affects the running of the company. Conversation two doesn't lie, it doesn't provide false facts, and it doesn't for one second say you do something you don't, it just says everything you do in a much more improved way. Conversation two makes you a lot more important and a lot less expendable than you are. Conversation two makes you sound damn awesome, because you are.
Knowing how to sell yourself is such an important part of anything in life, whether that's during an interview, when meeting professionals, or even when meeting people who might become great friends. Knowing what you're good at, that you're good at it, and how you're important can motivate you, it can challenge you, and it can increase your confidence ten fold. Remembering that you're more than just your job title is so vitally important in a world where working plays a huge part in life, but don't for one second think that you're job titles limits you as a person. You are a fabulous person, and you can do so much, don't go forgetting it.
Take Your Job Title and Add Some Pazazz! What Is It You Do?
Indirectly, I am saving human lives by finding out what is wrong with their health. I figure out if they suffer from infections by a micro-organism with the help of different techniques and machines. This information will be given to the doctor in order to find the best way to treat the patient. I'm a proud medical technician in the microbiology work field :)
ReplyDelete*at the moment I do something else though, but this is what I'm working to. I had an internship at a hospital and it's all I ever want to do*
That sounds so awesome Mel! That sounds like exactly the type of thing that makes me ask loads of questions, so good on you. It also puts my retail work to shame - you're going to be saving lives, I make people buy chocolate, whoops? :)
DeleteHe, he! Chocolate is a VERY important thing in my life, so no shame on you :)!
DeleteIt took me a long time to be okay with saying I'm an "author." What's funny is that my husband started calling me an author way before I published my first book. I feel like he's believed in me way before I did. So now when people ask, "What do you do?" I say, "I'm an author." It's starting to feel natural. Lol.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't think twice about calling you an author, (although you're a woman of many talents) so you should be proud. You've got so much experience, when someone asks what you do, you could easily go into your past too which is awesome :)
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